20. July 2013: Restaurant Atari-Ya
The “deep fried prawn mixed with spicy mayonnaise” (GBP 4.20) was extremly tasty. The combination of the frying oil taste and the spiciness of the mayonnaise provided it with a great hint of spice and exoticness.
The second starter “shredded squid with anchovy sauce” (GBP 5.00) was quite interesting and refreshing. While the shredded squid was somehow a bit too chewy for my personal gusto, the anchovy sauce was not really a sauce but was rather just chopped anchovies. Still, the combination of the chewiness of the squid and the anchovies was great.
My friend had recommended the “Deluxe Chirashi” which included various raw fishes on rice like fatty tuna, eel, crab meat, yellow-tail, tuna, salmon, whitefish, boiled prawn, scallop, sweet prawn, vinegared mackerel, salmon roe, tobiko and egg omelette (GBP 22.00) was great. The fish was fresh and rich in taste – just great!
Of course we had to try the “hot house sake” (GBP 8.00) which was astonishingly tasty – I did not quite expect so as I usually do not like sake too much but it was good.
Already quite stuffed I tried a tiny bit of an eggplant dish a vegetarian friend of mine had ordered and I was so mind-blowing I had to order a “Nasuden” (GBP 6.00) myself. The eggplant is somehow cooked in a sweet miso sauce which provides it with an amazingly tasty layer of sauce and the aubergine is cooked in a way it practically dissembles right away – definitely the most tasty dish of the night!
The prices are quite fair which also applies for the beverages e.g. sparkling water for GBP 3.50. The place is absolutely simple and not worth going to be honest but it is clean. The service is friendly when attentive but somehow they got some “ritual” standing with their backs to the customers and chatting – quite annoying.
Overall though, the place is worth going. The food is definitely very tasty (try the eggplant!) and absolutely fair in price. Therefore, I can only recommend you going there if you like sushi but make sure you book a table in advance.
Rating:
| Atmosphere: |   |
| Service: | |
| Dishes: |  |
| Price-Performance Ratio: |  |
| Overall Rating: | |
Contact Details:
Restaurant Atari-Ya
Fairfax Road 75
NW6 4EE London (UK)
Tel.: +44 20 73 28 53 38
Homepage: http://www.atariya.co.uk
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
